Titans - March of Progress

Sain blinked as he woke up slowly, his mind rather hazy. Staring straight up, all he could see was a bright light. It was so bright it was almost painful. He let out a groan. He felt hot, and heavy, almost as if he was feverish. Was this what it felt like to be dead? Letting out a groan once more, Sain turned his head away from the light, squinting his eyes and causing the bright light to fade from his vision somewhat. His mind was still hazy, and he groaned yet again, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the bright light. As the light became bearable, Sain opened his eyes fully and slowly started to survey his surroundings. A door came into view on his left side. Next to the door on its right was a man, seated with his head bowed in sleep.

Sain stared dumbly, looking at the man, taking in his attire. The man looked to be a police officer. He had a helmet, a sort of scarf or half face mask, and was dressed in what looked like standard issue police uniform, complete with the heavy fur collared coat. What was most alarming to Sain however was the flintlock pistol strapped to the officer’s chest in a bandolier. Normal police did not carry those.

With a slow gulp, Sain tried to sit up, but realized he couldn’t. Something was holding him down. He turned his gaze from the sleeping officer and looked down at his body. With a jolt, he saw numerous leather straps across his body and limb’s, holding him down in a bed. A sense of panic washed over him in an instant, like a slap in the face, and with a panicked whimper, Sain started to struggle and buck against the straps, his whimpers turning into heavy breaths, the panic quickly turning into sheer exhaustion. After a few moments, Sain simply stopped moving and just slumped back into the bed, physically exhausted, his entire body shaking from the exertion, and a cold sweat beginning to break out over him. Feeling light headed, Sain closed his eyes and tried to center his thoughts, and figure out what was going on, where he might be, and just what might be happening.

A memory of Clyde's grim expression came first to his minds eye, of the old man kneeling, hunched over him before driving a hand into his chest. He remembered coughing blood and screaming as an overwhelming pain ripped through him. After the memory hit home, Sain opened his eyes and looked down his chest, and gulped, seeing no evidence of a wound. There was no pain either. The only thing that showed he had been wounded was his torn, burned and bloody cloths adorning his torso. Wherever he was, the people had not bothered to remove his damaged clothes.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Sain focused, and slowed his breathing, steadying himself and trying to return to a semblance of calm. What was it Clyde had said early on in his apprenticeship? 'Ones self control is the true measure of a casters power'. So Sain just got himself under control, using some breathing exercises Clyde had taught him, and albeit with some effort, his heart rate slowed eventually, and he just tried to think about where he was.

There was no sound. A slight smell of gas from the lamp hanging from the ceiling. The room was bare of any windows, or any furniture save the bed he was in, the door, and the chair the officer was sitting on. Perhaps he was in a prison medical cell or something? That would explain the armed guard. And he must have been brought here after the incident at the factory. Maybe he was being considered a suspect? Witnesses surely would not be strapped down. Feeling suddenly sick to the stomach, Sain just diverted his attention to the straps over his body. He needed to get rid of them. And then maybe he could get out? Escape even?

With the barest idea of what he would do afterwards, Sain simply focused and stared at a strap over his stomach. Then he centered his minds eye on his pool of magic in his core. Surprise washed over him though as he saw it brimming with energy, far more than he had ever seen. As he reached for the magic, a strange warmth cascaded over him, followed by a sense of elation. Grinning, he just pulled on the magic, and then gave it direction, wanting to use it to cut off his bindings.

As soon as he directed his magic though, a piercing pain erupted in his head and he seized up instantly as the pain made him spasm and freeze. It felt like he was being stabbed in the head. The pain ripped into his skull, so much so he could not even scream, as his entire body seemed to tense up, and his jaw clenched hard. All that came out was a sort of deep grunt. As his focus moved to the pain though, he let his hold on his magic slip, and as he did, the pain disappeared just as fast as it had arrived, and he relaxed, his breath coming in sudden gasps.

Hearing a sudden intake of breath from his left, Sain whipped his gaze over to the police officer who raised their head and stared at Sain. As their eyes met, Sain saw the surprise register on the officers face, even if the lower half of the mans face was covered by his mask. After a moment, the officer stood up, his right hand going to the grip of his pistol. Still staring at Sain, the officer moved to stand slightly in front of the door, then just kicked it with the back of his right heel three times.

Within moments, a slat in the door opened, and a new set of eyes appeared.

“Kid has regained consciousness. Let the boss know” the first officer stated and stood straight, hand still on the pistol, but not yet drawing it.

“Understood. I will let them know” came the reply from behind the door, and then the slat slammed shut. Instantly the sound of footsteps were heard, before quickly disappearing. Sain just swallowed and then tried to smile at the officer.

"Um.. Hi. Don't suppose you could tell me what's going on... and stuff?" Sain asked, a little timid now. A dull ache had settled in his skull now, and he supposed it was best not to use his magic for now. So, he should try to make friends instead, if that was even possible. The officer just stared at him though, and said nothing, causing Sain to deflate slightly. He simply sunk in on himself, quiet and waited to find out what was happening.

Sure enough, after what seemed to be less than five minutes of awkward silence, the sound of footsteps beyond the door reached him, followed by a sound like a key opening a lock. A moment later, the single door in the room opened and three people piled into the small space. Sain looked at them, a sense of impending doom creeping over him.

Looking over them, Sain focused his eyes on the man in the middle. One that carried an air of authority. He was a tall well-built man, with short black hair and a somewhat hawkish look. He was clean shaven and had dark blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to burrow into Sain. The man made a gesture with his hand to the two others with him. They were also police officers, wearing the same attire as the other officer. The duo didn’t say a thing as they stepped around the dark-haired man and approached Sain.

Without the slightest hesitation, the officers went straight to untying the strap’s that held Sain down whilst the officer at the door held his pistol up, pointed at Sain as if in warning, as though to discourage Sain from making a mistake. Sain kept his gaze on the dark-haired man in a somewhat confused manner, however. The man looked vaguely familiar, but from where, Sain could not place it.

Sain was shocked back to reality as his arms were grabbed, and he was hauled from the bed, half falling, half stepping off the frame, landing on shaky legs. He looked to the floor at his feet, and tried to mutter some sort of protest, but all that came out of his mouth was a hoarse whisper. As a pair of cuffs were slapped onto his wrists, he blinked in surprise and looked up, finding the dark-haired man had turned his back and was stepping out of the small room.

The two officers that had unstrapped Sain, stepped either side of him and each grabbed one of his elbows rather tightly, causing him to cry out slightly in pain. His discomfort was ignored as he was marched out of the room and into a long hallway, bare of any sort of furniture or fixture. He was forcefully turned to the right and marched down the windowless corridor past numerous other doors. Hearing a bang behind him, Sain turned his head trying to look over his shoulder, guessing the third officer was behind him. However, as soon as he tried to look away, his elbows were squeezed hard, causing him to yelp and momentarily step up onto his tip toes. He guessed the officers didn’t want him looking around.

As he was marched, Sain just latched his eyes on the figure of the dark-haired man, who was striding confidently before him, turning around corners in this maze-like building.

After a few minutes of silent walking, the dark-haired man stopped before a door and turned to face it. He looked back to Sain and the officer’s, a smirk light upon his lips. After a few moments, The man pushed the door open and disappeared inside. Sain was then marched straight into the new room and he cringed at what he saw. There was a long wooden table situated in the middle of the room, at which two men were seated. The dark-haired man had begun to quietly converse with them and was now pointing to a pair of boxes on the table.

Sain didn’t have the luxury of investigating it further as the officers flanking him forced him to sit in a fixed metal chair at the end of the table. They lifted his hands above the table and un-cuffed one of his hands before looping the cuffs through a metal fixture on the table and re-cuffing him. Then they knelt down and strapped his legs to the metal chair. As soon as the youth was secured, they stepped away from him and exited the room. Only one of the officers remained, standing directly behind Sain.

Sain looked around the room now, noticing that the wall was actually ringed on three sides by bare walls, and the fourth wall had a pane of glass fixed to it. Or perhaps it was a window, with a hidden room on the other side like some of the youths he knew had described, when they had been questioned in police stations. Sain surmised that that was what was occurring to him now.

“So, Mr Belford. Now that we are here, it is time to get started” a sharp voice sounded, almost echoing in the room. Sain’s gaze snapped to look at the source of the voice, the dark-haired man. Sain opened his mouth and tried to say something back, but a mere hoarse croak escaped his mouth. The dark haired man just perked his brow at the attempt.

“Well. We need to fix that. Can’t speak if your voice is all cracked now can you?” the dark-haired man stated and then gestured to one of the men he had been conversing with at the table upon entering the room. One stood up and opened a box, more like a container really, and produced a small flask and a metal cup. The man twisted off the lid and poured out a small amount of amber liquid from the flask. He then approached Sain who eyed him warily.

The man came to a halt on Sain’s left side and without a hint of hesitation, the man grabbed Sain's nose and pulled his head backwards before he forced the cup to his mouth and tipped the liquid in.

"Drink. It will sooth your throat. It just tastes horrible" the man stated and Sain felt the thick ooze trickle down over his tongue and down his throat. It tasted like liquid trash and it just made him cough, splutter and gag. As he convulsed, the man kept hold on Sains nose, forcing him to draw breath through his mouth, and in turn take the liquid down. After a few moments, he was done and the man just let go, then walked back to his seat, leaving a gagging and coughing Sain, bent forward over the table.

“The substance will take a few moments to act Sir, and counter-act the magic blocker” the unknown man stated as he moved back to his chair and put the flask and cup away. Sain just furrowed his brow at the words. What was a magic blocker?

“Good. Thank you Dr. Kowka. Dr Harris, please set up the lie detector now” the dark-haired man requested, whilst naming both the individuals. Sain lifted his head and turned his gaze to the two doctor’s and scowled as Dr. Harris brought his chair over to near Sain, and placed his own container down near Sain. The Dr. opened it and Sain saw a strange device within the vessel, and scowled further. Seemed he was right that this was some sort of interrogation. As the man started to hook Sain up to the machine, placing patches connected to cables on various parts of his body, the youth latched his eyes on the dark-haired man, just taking on a tired and resigned expression.

“Mr Belford. No doubt you are feeling better now, so I will give you a warning. Do not attempt to use magic. Your lack of voice shows that you have attempted to use magic since you awoke. Around your neck is a collar, set with an obsidian stone. The stone creates intense pain in those who attempt magic in its vicinity, and can cause significant damage if ignored by the caster. It generally also affects your ability to speak, as you have no doubt established. Is that clear enough for you?” the man asked as he went to one of the room’s corners and slouched into it.

Sain sucked in a breath and stared at the man before nodding. He knew what obsidian was. Clyde had made sure to teach him the purpose of the anti magic stone. It was the opposite of Etherum crystals which could absorb energy. The man just smiled somewhat and turned his attention to Dr. Harris and waited in silence. After a few moments the Dr. finished placing the various patches and cables over Sains body and then looked at Sain with a blank look, seemingly ready to start..

“Is your name Sain Belford? Yes or no?” he asked of the youth. Sain blinked and then turned his attention to the dark-haired man even as he answered hesitantly, opening and closing his mouth slightly a few times first.

“Yes” he answered simply, his voice wavering somewhat. The Dr. stayed quiet a moment before asking another question.

“Are you fourteen years old?” came the second question, as toneless as the first.

“Yes. That is correct” Sain replied, his voice a little unsteady. His eyes moved back to the doctor, noting him looking at some lines being drawn by the machine. He just furrowed his brow.

“Good, good, everything seems to be in order. Now I need you to lie to me. Say something like, you are a king or the like” came the order from the doctor. Sain blinked, his heart stopping for a moment and his heart jolted as his mind raced a little. Should he tell a truth? Or a lie? Could this machine tell the difference?

“Ah, ok. My favorite color is yellow" Sain stated hesitantly, slightly stuttering. The Dr. raised an eyebrow and looked at the paper before sighing.

"A lie please child. The sooner this is over with, the better for you" the doctor said, a look of disappointment on his face. Sain just grimaced, caught out in his attempt to fool the machine.

"Um.. ok then, I dislike the color yellow" Sain stated and after a few moments the doctor nodded, satisfied at what he saw on the machines piece of paper.

“Sir, you can begin now" Dr. Harris stated. Sain groaned inwardly, knowing they must have successfully calibrated the machine to his answers. He just wanted to hit his head into a wall now and knock out his stupidity. He had never done one of these before and he doubted these lie detectors were as easy to throw off at all. He had only heard of them from other gang members who laughed and said they were easy to fool.

Shifting his gaze, Sain looked to the dark-haired man as he stepped forward and placed both his hands palm down on the table, his eyes locked on Sain.

“I am going to ask you some questions Mr Belford, and know that you cannot lie to us now” he stated, his eyes cold as he seemed to stare almost right through Sain. Sain just gulped and nodded somewhat timidly and tried to relax. He reminded himself that he probably didn’t have anything to hide. The dark-haired man continued to look at Sain as he began his questioning.

“Are you apprenticed to a man by the name of Clyde Sedious" the man asked, causing Sain to blink in surprise. Not a question he had expected.

“Yes Sir. I am” Sain replied. With a nod from Dr. Harris, the dark-haired man continued.

“Were you aware that Clyde has been a wanted fugitive for some time? And do you know of his current whereabouts?” The man asked, still staring at Sain. Sain furrowed his brow in confusion and just looked at the man for a short time before replying.

“I, I did not know that. Um, I am sorry, but I don’t know where he is” Sain stated, his gaze dropping to look at his hands. Another nod came from the doctor and the dark-haired man continued.

“Very well. So, tell me the nature of your work for Clyde. What sort of things was he teaching you? Having you do?” the dark-haired man asked as he pushed off the table and sat in an unclaimed chair, slouching somewhat into its frame. Sain frowned, wondering what this line of questioning was for. He didn’t even know why he was here. He couldn’t even remember how he had got where he was. Only the moment he had thought he had died. Biting his lip, he shook his head slightly, eliciting strange looks from the doctor’s in the room.

“Um, well, I was only apprenticed to him for around one year, and we only did a few things. The occasional experiment. Mostly I just worked in the factory” Sain stated as he looked up at the dark-haired man who had tightened his jaw as he listened.

“Just a few experiments based around explosives and magic control. Clyde liked to blow stuff up I think” Sain stated and shrugged rather nervously, feeling the need to say something.

“Yes, I know he likes to blow stuff up. That’s why he is a fugitive. He blew up an embassy around ten years ago to name one of his more recent crimes. And only days ago, he blew up a factory owned by Kris Hart. One of his old fake names. Anyway, this caused significant destruction and multiple deaths. Of which you are considered an accessory to the fact” the dark-haired man stated, a fist clenched as it was laid on the table. Sain lifted his head shocked and stared with his mouth hanging open slightly.

“What! But I didn’t blow anything up. I swear I didn’t" Sain said, his voice going high as he panicked. Had he just incriminated himself or something?

“Mr. Belford. You are considered a domestic terrorist. You were found half dead in the rubble, but it wouldn’t be the first time Clyde has left an accomplice to die. I suggest you start thinking on what you know of Clyde, and what you can tell us to help your case, and perhaps a plea bargain" came a snappy reply from the un-named man.

“But I don’t know anything. Why don’t you ask his family or something? Those nobles in the Hill’s quarter. His sister and stuff” Sain shot back, throwing out almost random thoughts as he panicked further. He stared at the man though who simply raised an eyebrow.

“Clyde Sedious has no relative’s young man. He has been on the run for two decades. And he is no noble. Tell me what you know of this ‘family’ of his?” the man asked as he leaned forward, seemingly interested.

“They live in the hills, on Castor lane. Forty-Seven, I think. A big mansion with a statue of a whale out the front. I have been there. Clyde took me there a few times” Sain stammered, eyes wide. The doctor on the lie detector wasn’t even paying attention to the machine anymore, most likely interested in what Sain had to say. The dark-haired man just tapped a hand on the table and quirked an eyebrow.

“Well. That is unfortunate. That sounds like the House of Vouille. The place was burned to the ground just yesterday. Whole family died in the fire. The servants and everything. It was classed as suspicious by the fire department, and I can understand why, especially if they were linked to Clyde” the man stated and continued to think on something. He seemed to decide and then focused his gaze on Sain once more.

“Finally, Mr. Belford, did Clyde ever perform any experiments on you. Do anything to you against your will?” the man asked, his eyes bright, almost excitable. Sain blinked in surprise again and shook his head vigorously.

“No, he did not. Well, not that I am aware of” Sain spluttered. Sain’s answer seemed to disappoint the man who just scowled and stood up.

“Well, I think we are done here. I have no further questions. ”Officer, take him back to his cell. He has his trial tomorrow” the man stated looking over Sain’s head at the lone officer in the room.

Sain widened his eyes in shock and looked around the room at everyone. Trial. What was he? A criminal? He didn’t even know what to think anymore. He locked his panicked gaze on the Doctor that started to pull off the pads and cables all over his body. Then he looked to the officer that stepped forward and crouched down, undoing the straps holding his legs to the chair.

“No, no, please don’t. Please let me go” Sain blurted out, almost begging as he lifted his arms and tried to pull the handcuffs from the table, doing nothing more than causing them to cut into his wrist’s. He instinctively reached for his magic as the dark-haired man left the room, feeling trapped and threatened.

As he did though, a feeling of intense pain stabbed through his head and he went rigid as the pain caused his muscles to lock up. He had forgotten about the obsidian stone he apparently wore. He heard swearing from the doctor who stood back and just ripped the last few cables from him hurriedly as the other guards entered the room and grabbed him. One simply lifted his flintlock pistol, flipped it over and then struck Sain in the head with the butt of it.

Another burst of pain went through Sain's skull and he slumped forward, as the strike simply knocked him out.